James Bond travels to the Caribbean to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a secret service team. As he uncovers the astonishing truth about strange energy waves that are interfering with U.S. missile launches, he must battle deadly assassins, sexy femmes fatales, and even a poisonous tarantula. The search takes him to an exotic tropical island, where he meets a beautiful nature girl and discovers the hideout of Doctor No, a six-foot-six madman with a mania for torture, a lust to kill, and a fantastic secret to hide.
Dr No
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Book Description
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Editorial Reviews
From Library Journal
The allure of James Bond was best described by Raymond Chandler, who insisted that 007 is "what every man would like to be and what every woman would like to have between her sheets." Who can argue with that? This month marks the 40th anniversary of the film release of Dr. No, which was the first Bond adventure to make the big screen, and two big coffee-table books are being published to honor the occasion (LJ 10/1/02, p. 96). Shockingly, Fleming's original novels have gone out of print, but Penguin here reproduces a trio of the British secret agent's early outings, released in 1952, 1958, and 1959, respectively, sporting stylish cover art. These stories were racy for the nifty Fifties but are quite tame by today's standards. Still, they can be fun.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
Masterful ... beautifully written -- Raymond Chandler The Sunday Times
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Most of us have seen a James Bond movie at one time or another and enjoyed the outlandish antics in which he participates. However, upon getting my hands on this edition and finishing it in a matter of hours, the movies suddenly hold no appeal. I love the literary Bond! Sure, he's a lecherous alcoholic who smokes 60 cigarettes a day, but that's only during his downtime; when he's on the job, women and booze are secondary. And sure, it's vastly outdated, but the Cold War is still, by far, the best setting for an espionage thriller. The Bond in the novels is a cold cutomer who wouldn't hesitate to kill someone close to him to spare them a worse death (as in the latter part of Live And Let Die). Also, the literary Bond's body is a patchwork of scar tissue, and his handsome features are marred only by a scar on his right cheek.
That said, Fleming's style is great--short and to the point, much the same as his days writing reports during WWII during his stint in the military. His prose isnn't flowery, and it advances the story at a brisk pace.
Dr. No is an excellent turning point for both Fleming and Bond. Fleming killed Bond at the end of From Russia With Love (one report being that he'd tired of the character, but fans clammored for Bond's revival). The events of the previous novel are touched-on briefly in the beginning of the book, but they don't have much bearing on the rest of the story. However, the return of Quarrel (from Live And Let Die) and his loss greatly affects Bond, bringing a depth of character rarely explored by the celluloid Bonds.
Dr. No is a great read of the genre of its time, featuring a dashing secret agent hero, a capable sidekick, a beautiful seashell-hunting love interest, 5-inch tropical poisonous centipedes, flamethrowing dragons, sadistic henchmen, a giant squid (not in the movie!), and of course, Dr. No, the pincer-handed, ultra-rich, ultra-evil, guano-dealing nemesis! Who could ask for anything more?!
That said, Fleming's style is great--short and to the point, much the same as his days writing reports during WWII during his stint in the military. His prose isnn't flowery, and it advances the story at a brisk pace.
Dr. No is an excellent turning point for both Fleming and Bond. Fleming killed Bond at the end of From Russia With Love (one report being that he'd tired of the character, but fans clammored for Bond's revival). The events of the previous novel are touched-on briefly in the beginning of the book, but they don't have much bearing on the rest of the story. However, the return of Quarrel (from Live And Let Die) and his loss greatly affects Bond, bringing a depth of character rarely explored by the celluloid Bonds.
Dr. No is a great read of the genre of its time, featuring a dashing secret agent hero, a capable sidekick, a beautiful seashell-hunting love interest, 5-inch tropical poisonous centipedes, flamethrowing dragons, sadistic henchmen, a giant squid (not in the movie!), and of course, Dr. No, the pincer-handed, ultra-rich, ultra-evil, guano-dealing nemesis! Who could ask for anything more?!
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The basic frame of all the James Bond books and movies. It was the book chosen by the owners of the film rights to introduce the character to the screen - and they kept rather close to the essentials ... the tough but sophisticated Bond, the alluring female lead who becomes his companion and usually savior, the gruff but proud M and so on. Probably the best example of the movie being as good as the book - certainly not true of the later cartoonish movies which are seldom as good as the original Fleming stories.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is my favorite James Bond novel. Ian Fleming created a character with a gargantuan appetite for the more worldly pleasures. For a land that could supply our hero with such an appetite Fleming chose his own beloved Jamaica. The melding of the story with the setting is Fleming at his best. Jamaica was a land of beauty, mystery and intrigue. Fleming captured this so well and gave us a remarkable villain to reflect that esoteric quality of the island.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
had problems
I gave this book three stars mostly not because of the story, but because of the way it was turned into an ebook. Many parts were missing making later in the book confusing. Read more
Published 1 month ago by br8gent
A View to a Thrill
First let me say that a friend and business partner gushed about growing up reading Ian Fleming and being a life-long fan of his work. Naturally I had to take a gander. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Daniel Middleton
Another solid novel with great descriptions of Jamaica
Fleming easily delivers here with a novel that is action packed and development of characters and location... Read more
Published 3 months ago by JON WATSON
Fun Read
After watching many of the Bond movies (all of the Connery ones) I wasn't sure if I could get through it. Read more
Published 5 months ago by MKM
Long time watcher, first time reader
I feel like I watched a lot of James Bond movies growing up. But when I go back and watch old James Bond I do not remember many. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Adam
Highly enjoyable, superior thriller
I read and enjoyed many of Ian Fleming's James Bond novels when I was about 12. I recent enjoyed re-reading Dr No. Read more
Published 7 months ago by T. W. Hill
Also, per National Lampoon, Dr. Yes-Yes-Yes
I am still more a fan of the contemporaneous Quiller series, mostly because, as opposed to M-6 (of the movies anyway), Q's outfit frowns on the collateral damage inevitable in,... Read more
Published 11 months ago by David Blanchard
A Different and Refreshing Bond
This is the first Bond novel I have read, and I defintely think that the enviroment in which it takes place with the plot makes this a must read Bond. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Rosco458
Always better than the movies ,, but what is it with Octopus all the...
I first read the Fleming Bond novels 25 years ago and found them better than most of the movies.
Now I am revisiting Bond again by listening to them on Audio CD while... Read more
Now I am revisiting Bond again by listening to them on Audio CD while... Read more
Published 16 months ago by M. A Spitzer
5 stars for action, 1 for racism
I'm sure most readers know about the rank racism that runs rampant in the James Bond books. Yes, it was a "sign of the times" and all that, but that doesn't make it any more... Read more
Published 17 months ago by mickey71
Inside This Book
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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs):
(learn more)
guano dust, marsh buggy, bird dung Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Doctor No, Mister Bond, Crab Key, Chief of Staff, King's House, Colonial Secretary, New York, Beau Desert, Sir James, Sister Lily, Colonial Office, Secret Service, Audubon Society, Mary Trueblood, Sister Rose, James Bond, Morgan's Harbour, Chinese Negroes, Major Boothroyd, Richmond Road, Port Maria, Queen's Club, Secretary of State, Turks Island, Honeychile Rider New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
guano dust, marsh buggy, bird dung Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Doctor No, Mister Bond, Crab Key, Chief of Staff, King's House, Colonial Secretary, New York, Beau Desert, Sir James, Sister Lily, Colonial Office, Secret Service, Audubon Society, Mary Trueblood, Sister Rose, James Bond, Morgan's Harbour, Chinese Negroes, Major Boothroyd, Richmond Road, Port Maria, Queen's Club, Secretary of State, Turks Island, Honeychile Rider New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 7
books:
See all 7 books this book cites
39
books
cite this book:
See all 39 books citing this book
- The Man With The Golden Gun (James Bond Novels) by Ian Fleming in Front Matter
- Casino Royale: A James Bond Novel (James Bond Novels, Book 1) by Ian Fleming in Front Matter
- From Russia with Love (James Bond Novels) by Ian Fleming in Front Matter
- Live And Let Die by Ian Fleming in Front Matter
- You Only Live Twice (James Bond Novels) by Ian Fleming in Front Matter
See all 7 books this book cites
- James Bond and Philosophy: Questions Are Forever (Popular Culture and Philosophy) by James B. South on 11 pages
- The Spy Story by John G. Cawelti on 4 pages
- Masculinity: Bodies, Movies, Culture (AFI Film Readers) by Peter Lehman on 4 pages
- Masculinity: Bodies, Movies, Culture (AFI Film Readers) by Peter Lehman on page 240, page 241, and page 248
- The Search for the Giant Squid: The Biology and Mythology of the World's Most Elusive Sea Creature by Richard Ellis on page 177, and Back Matter
See all 39 books citing this book
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